editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94After nearly a decade as an award-winning Foreign Correspondent with NPR's international desk, Eric Westervelt returned in September 2013 to domestic news with a new national beat covering American education as an Education Correspondent. In this role, he covers the news, issues, and trends in classrooms across the country, from pre-K to higher education. He has a strong interest in the multiple ways in which technology is disrupting traditional pedagogy. Westervelt recently returned from a 2013 John S Knight Journalism Fellow ship at Stanford University. The fellowship focused on journalistic innovation, leadership, entrepreneurship and the future of news. Previously, he was a foreign correspondent based in the Middle East and then Europe. From 2009 to 2012 Westervelt was Berlin Bureau Chief and Correspondent coverage a broad range of news across Europe from the debt crisis to political challenges in Eastern Europe. In 2011 and 2012 his work included coverage of the revolutions inNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Eric WesterveltSat, 19 Aug 2017 07:21:30 +0000Eric Westervelthttp://kanw.com
Eric WesterveltIn the dawn hours of July 16, Edward French, a professional film and TV scout and avid photographer, stood atop Twin Peaks, the famed San Francisco hillside with its panoramic views of his hometown. French, 71, had his camera with him, as he always did. "He knew beautiful places. He was trying to catch the sunrise coming up Sunday morning, especially the way the city's skyline is changing," says Brian Higginbotham, French's longtime partner. "I'm sure he was just up there sitting against the wall taking that classic shot you see down Market Street with the East Bay in the distance." That's when, it is alleged, 19-year-old Lamonte Mims and 20-year-old Fantasy Decuir accosted French, stole his camera, and shot him with a handgun. Prosecutors have said they have video surveillance evidence that Decuir pulled the trigger while Mims robbed the photographer. A nearby jogger heard the gunfire, called 911, and administered CPR. It was too late. French was dead. "I'm still kind of in shock. WeDid A Bail Reform Algorithm Contribute To This San Francisco Man's Murder? http://kanw.com/post/did-bail-reform-algorithm-contribute-san-francisco-mans-murder
92143 as http://kanw.comFri, 18 Aug 2017 18:01:00 +0000Did A Bail Reform Algorithm Contribute To This San Francisco Man's Murder? Eric WesterveltPublic defenders in Baltimore say hundreds of criminal cases could be tossed out after two incidents discovered on police body cameras this summer show officers allegedly planting drug evidence . So far some 40 criminal cases have been dropped, mostly involving drug and weapons-related felonies. But lawyers there say that's just the beginning. "I would say there are hundreds and hundreds of cases directly affected between the two cases," Debbie Katz Levi, director of special litigation for Baltimore's Office of the Public Defender tells NPR. "I think it's safe to say if you included all of the officers, you're probably at around 500 cases." The Baltimore police internal affairs office is investigating. The Baltimore City State's Attorney's office says "we are currently reviewing numbers." "These officers are employed by the Baltimore Police Department. Therefore, it is a problem that BPD must solve," says Caron A. Brace, chief of staff for Marilyn Mosby , the State's Attorney forNew Baltimore Police Scandal Threatens Criminal Caseshttp://kanw.com/post/new-baltimore-police-scandal-threatens-criminal-cases
91677 as http://kanw.comTue, 08 Aug 2017 20:51:00 +0000New Baltimore Police Scandal Threatens Criminal CasesEric WesterveltThe cubist revolution, now in its eighth year, is thriving. That's Minecraft cubes, of course. The game where you build virtual Lego-like worlds and populate them with people, animals and just about everything in between is one of the most popular games ever made; it's second only to Tetris as the best-selling video game of all time. There's gold in them thar cubes: More than 120 million copies have sold since Minecraft launched in 2009.* So what's behind the game's enduring appeal? For Isiah Hammonds, 9, it's all about the creative potential every time you fire up your computer. "You can build anything – anything that you put your mind to! You can work with other people. It's social. It's just super fun!" he says while focusing intensely on finishing his virtual ice arena with his multi-player team of fellow Minecraft campers in Richmond, Calif. "It's for our ice boat racing." Hammonds, a third-grader, is in a basement room in Richmond's City Hall, next to the cafeteria and a janitorThe Cubist Revolution: Minecraft For Allhttp://kanw.com/post/cubist-revolution-minecraft-all
91649 as http://kanw.comTue, 08 Aug 2017 09:09:00 +0000The Cubist Revolution: Minecraft For AllEric WesterveltThe Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it would waive environmental and other laws to ensure the "expeditious construction" of barriers and roads near the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Diego region. Environmentalists have warned that extending the border wall could damage ecosystems and threaten wildlife habitats. Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: President Trump's plan to build a giant wall on the U.S.-Mexico border took a small step forward today. The Department Of Homeland Security announced it would use its power to go around environmental and other laws to help expedite construction in the San Diego area. The department hopes to start building border wall prototypes and replacement fencing later this summer. Environmentalists say it could damage fragile ecosystems and threaten wildlife. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports. ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Customs and Border Protection are already taking soilDHS Waives Environmental Laws For Border Wall Constructionhttp://kanw.com/post/dhs-waives-environmental-laws-border-wall-construction
91392 as http://kanw.comTue, 01 Aug 2017 20:29:00 +0000DHS Waives Environmental Laws For Border Wall ConstructionEric WesterveltKareem Abdul-Jabbar is taking his shot helping narrow the opportunity and equity gaps with his Skyhook Foundation and Camp Skyhook. The Los Angeles nonprofit helps public school students in the city access a free, fun, weeklong STEM education camp experience in the Angeles National Forest. Every week throughout the year, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Unified School District, groups of 4th and 5th graders attend Camp Skyhook at the Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center, one of the oldest outdoor education centers in America. The hands-on science curriculum allows students to study nature up close: take water temperature in a stream, get soil or forest samples during a hike, study the local wildlife or explore the stars. That's alongside the traditional fare of hiking, swimming, and campfire songs. It's so popular there's basically a five-year waiting list for the camp in the city's schools, where about 80 percent of students receive free and reduced-price lunch. Having an NBA HallFrom Skyhook To STEM: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brings The Sciencehttp://kanw.com/post/skyhook-stem-kareem-abdul-jabbar-brings-science
91134 as http://kanw.comThu, 27 Jul 2017 10:07:00 +0000From Skyhook To STEM: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brings The ScienceEric WesterveltThe Golden State Warriors earned their second NBA title in three years with a 129 to 120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland Monday night, led by All-Star forward Kevin Durant's 39 points and strong bench scoring. Durant's stellar play all season and throughout the playoffs vindicated Golden State's massive payout to the superstar in a controversial off-season deal. Fellow All-Star Stephen Curry added 34 points. But it was Durant, who left Oklahoma City for Oakland at the end of last season, who carried the team. The capacity crowd, most dressed in Warrior gold T-shirts, cheered and sang along with the tune "We Are The Champions" as confetti fell. Warriors' sluggish beginning gives way to brilliance The Warriors started the game lackluster and trailed at the end of the first quarter. But a Durant dunk about four minutes into the second sent the sold-out hometown crowd into a frenzy. The Warriors went on a 21-to-2 second-quarter run. They led at the half by 11. The Warriors,Golden State Takes 2nd NBA Title In 3 Yearshttp://kanw.com/post/golden-state-takes-2nd-nba-title-3-years
89207 as http://kanw.comTue, 13 Jun 2017 05:50:00 +0000Golden State Takes 2nd NBA Title In 3 YearsEric WesterveltStanford physics and education professor Carl Wieman won a Nobel Prize for his innovative, break-through work in quantum mechanics. Wieman has since levered the prestige and power of that prize to call attention to the need to transform undergraduate teaching, especially science education. Wieman's message, as we've reported here and here , is bold: Too many undergraduate programs fail to focus on teaching effectiveness or even bother to try to measure it. As he sees it, undergraduate Higher Ed still worships at the old false idol called the Big Lecture and doesn't seem to want to ask whether it's working. His solution: Systemically improve teaching through methods that have become known as active learning . Wieman's been interested in effective teaching strategies for years. He argues that a well implemented active learning approach can substantially improve understanding and retention of the material and boost attendance and course satisfaction, among other improvements. His new bookHey Higher Ed, Why Not Focus On Teaching?http://kanw.com/post/hey-higher-ed-why-not-focus-teaching
88952 as http://kanw.comWed, 07 Jun 2017 08:59:00 +0000Hey Higher Ed, Why Not Focus On Teaching?Eric WesterveltPankaj Rayamajhi hears something. Senioritis? The director of school logistics and operations has a kind of sixth sense about that unique Spring affliction as he roams the hallways of Columbia Heights Education Campus, a public middle and high school in Washington, D.C. Rayamajhi quickens his pace, walkie-talkie in hand, and turns a corner into a stairwell. Yep, senioritis. When they see him, the small group of students loitering on the stairs scatters back to class. "Right outside Whitaker's room there are some students here probably cutting class," he says into his two-way radio to a security guard. "Can you please make sure these hallways are clear?" "Copy that." It's just one of a hundred fires small and large the burly Nepal-born school administrator will handle on this day, tasks that in years past would have likely been handled by the principal. We like to think of school principals, at their best, as instructional leaders with a laser focus on boosting student achievement,Hall Passes, Buses, Lunch Duty: What If The Principal Could Focus On Achievement?http://kanw.com/post/free-principal
88559 as http://kanw.comMon, 29 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000Hall Passes, Buses, Lunch Duty: What If The Principal Could Focus On Achievement?Eric WesterveltWhat makes a high-quality learning program effective not just for the child but the whole family? What else, besides a well-run early ed or pre-K program , is essential to help families break out of intergenerational poverty? These are some of the key questions that an approach called "two-generation" programs are working to answer. There are many of these "two-gen" programs across the U.S. And while they differ in emphasis and detail, at their core they intentionally focus on ways to help both the child and parent. Usually this happens through targeted education and career training and other vital support such as health services, mentoring, and transportation. NPR Ed has been keeping an eye on one innovative two-gen program in Oklahoma. It's called Career Advance and is run by the Community Action Project of Tulsa County (CAP Tulsa). I've reported on it here and here. It gives low-income parents access to high-quality Head Start for their children, alongside free career training inA Path Out Of Poverty: Career Training + Quality Head Starthttp://kanw.com/post/path-out-poverty-career-training-quality-pre-k
87159 as http://kanw.comFri, 28 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000A Path Out Of Poverty: Career Training + Quality Head StartEric WesterveltMayor Bill de Blasio this week pushed ahead with plans to make New York City one of nation's few big cities to offer free, full-day preschool for all 3-year-olds­­. The plan would serve, when fully rolled out over several years , more than 60,000 children a year. It builds on one of de Blasio's signature accomplishments of his first term – universal pre-K for 4-year-olds. A few places, including Washington, D.C., have made a serious effort to fund preschool for 3-year-olds. New York City's plan, when fully realized, would be the most ambitious such effort to date. To achieve this goal the mayor says he'll need significant help from the state and federal government: upwards of $700 million dollars . And he faces the political tussles that will surely accompany his financing challenges. The mayor is running for re-election. But his proposal builds on widespread consensus that high-quality pre-K programs can have a huge positive impact on the lives of children – especially low-income onesThe Research Argument For NYC's Preschool Plan For 3-Year-Olds http://kanw.com/post/research-argument-nycs-preschool-plan-3-year-olds
87025 as http://kanw.comTue, 25 Apr 2017 19:39:00 +0000The Research Argument For NYC's Preschool Plan For 3-Year-Olds Eric WesterveltOrganizers of Saturday's nationwide March for Science have some pretty lofty goals: supporting science "as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity." Promoting "evidence-based policies in the public interest." Oh, and don't forget highlighting "the very real role that science plays in each of our lives and the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world." Whoa, that's a lot of exalted ground to cover with one cardboard sign! But long after those signs and slogans are put away, educators will continue the fun, hard slog of helping students understand key issues, like global warming, the science behind it and what students can do to help. I reached out to three veteran experts on climate science education — Scott Denning, Frank Niepold and Rebecca Anderson — who'll be working on the issue during and after this weekend's marches. I wanted to hear more about their work and challenges, especially at a time when the head of the EPA has questioned the humanEducators On A Hot Topic: Global Warming 101 http://kanw.com/post/educators-hot-topic-global-warming-101
86845 as http://kanw.comFri, 21 Apr 2017 09:41:00 +0000Educators On A Hot Topic: Global Warming 101 Eric Westervelthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJnreExzUfk Donald Trump's presidency is less than three months old, but in that time there have been massive turnouts for the Women's March and for Tax Day protests in cities across the country demanding that Trump release his returns. This coming Saturday, on Earth Day, scores of March for Science protests are expected. Helping to guide these actions are veteran activists with the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power — better known as ACT UP. Thirty years after the coalition's founding, some seasoned activists are dusting off their bullhorns and updating their direct-action playbooks to tap into the new wave of activism energized by opposition to Trump's policies. Founded in 1987, ACT UP never settled for trying to push change quietly or behind the scenes. It was loud, demanding and in-your-face with telegenic direct action, a protest that got serious attention and, occasionally, laughs. Like the time members engulfed the suburban Virginia home of theirACT UP At 30: Reinvigorated For Trump Fighthttp://kanw.com/post/act-30-reinvigorated-trump-fight
86663 as http://kanw.comMon, 17 Apr 2017 18:38:00 +0000ACT UP At 30: Reinvigorated For Trump FightEric WesterveltActivists took to the streets in Washington, D.C., and several other cities Saturday — the traditional Tax Day (which officially falls on April 18 this year) — to try to pressure the president to release his tax returns. Liberal protests are fast becoming a fixture of Donald Trump's presidency. Trump's first full day in office kicked off with a massive Women's March. Then there were the Day Without A Woman protests. Next weekend, communities across America plan to hold Earth Day March for Science rallies to highlight climate science and protest proposed EPA cuts , among other issues. But for others, marches are not enough. In San Francisco, Shannon Coulter is looking to expand her national Grab Your Wallet boycott movement into a broader nonprofit aimed at corporate accountability as well as resistance to Trump. The boycott Coulter founded is aimed at Trump family products, properties and companies whose executives and board members actively support the president. Accidental activist#GrabYourWallet's Anti-Trump Boycott Looks To Expand Its Reachhttp://kanw.com/post/grabyourwallets-anti-trump-boycott-looks-expand-its-reach
86611 as http://kanw.comSun, 16 Apr 2017 12:12:00 +0000#GrabYourWallet's Anti-Trump Boycott Looks To Expand Its ReachEric WesterveltA broad coalition of groups across the nation is encouraging women to participate in Wednesday's strike, called " A Day Without A Woman ." The organized protest comes on International Women's Day and follows the successful Women's March in January. That mass protest on Jan. 21 — President Trump's first full day in office –- saw huge crowds of demonstrators converge on the nation's capital, and other rallies in cities across the country and the world. The protest aims to highlight the economic power of women — as well as ongoing problems of discrimination and pay disparity. To show their economic importance and impact on society, women are being encouraged to take the day off from paid and unpaid labor and not to shop — except at women and minority owned and small businesses. The National Domestic Workers Alliance has endorsed the strike. Ai Jen Poo, who directs the group, which advocates for housekeepers, elder care and child care workers, says it's a vital labor pool that's too oftenFemale Workers Asked To Join In 'A Day Without A Woman' Protestshttp://kanw.com/post/female-workers-asked-join-day-without-woman-protests
84826 as http://kanw.comWed, 08 Mar 2017 08:58:00 +0000Female Workers Asked To Join In 'A Day Without A Woman' ProtestsEric WesterveltTrump administration policies toward refugees and immigrants, as well as a recent racially-charged shooting in Kansas, have some international students thinking twice about enrolling in American colleges and universities. Relatives of the Kansas shooting victims are urging other Indians to not send their kids to study in the U.S. The shooter , who is behind bars, killed one of the three people who were shot. It's too soon to know if international applicants or enrollees will decline nationally. But uncertainty and fear linger over whether Trump's political actions, rhetoric and tweets will freeze the flow of international students. Federal courts have blocked Trump's travel ban of people from seven majority-Muslim countries, but the White House has said it may issue a revised version as early as this week. That previous executive order spooked many international students, as we've reported. More than a million international students attend American colleges and universities. More thanTrump's International Policies Could Have Lasting Effects On Higher Edhttp://kanw.com/post/trumps-international-policies-could-have-lasting-effects-higher-ed
84716 as http://kanw.comSun, 05 Mar 2017 10:53:00 +0000Trump's International Policies Could Have Lasting Effects On Higher EdEric WesterveltCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The recent confirmation fight over the new education secretary, Betsy Davis, brought more attention to the issue of school choice. Whether choice comes through vouchers, tax scholarships or charters, some opponents say these programs often privilege the wealthy, lack oversight and undermine neighborhood public schools. One city that believes it's found an innovative, balanced approach to school choice is Denver, Colo. But as NPR's Eric Westervelt reports, the program has created some tough choices about how best to serve the city's vulnerable students in Denver's schools. ERIC WESTERVELT, BYLINE: In Denver schools, color matters a lot. A blue rating is great, green is good, yellow worrisome, orange troubling and red is bad, really bad. Gilpin Elementary in the city's Five Points neighborhood got a red ranking, or probation, the lowest category in the district's color coded school performance ranking. And under Denver's newDenver Looks For Balanced Approach To School Choicehttp://kanw.com/post/denver-looks-balanced-approach-school-choice
84133 as http://kanw.comMon, 20 Feb 2017 21:43:00 +0000Denver Looks For Balanced Approach To School ChoiceEric WesterveltDuring Betsy DeVos' bitter confirmation hearing last month for education secretary, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet pointed to Denver as a potential national model of a big city school district that's found an innovative, balanced approach to school choice. "Without exception," the Colorado Democrat told DeVos, "we demanded quality and implemented strong accountability" for the mix of traditional, charter, innovation and magnet schools in the 92,000-student district. Bennet invited DeVos to come see the Mile High city's choice program first-hand. DeVos said she'd "love to." We don't yet know if she plans to take up Sen. Bennet's invitation. But NPR Ed did. In Denver we found a generally popular, user-friendly program — one application for any school — that has boosted academic growth rates, improved on-time graduation and lowered dropout rates. Denver Superintendent Tom Boasberg says at its core, choice in the city is focused on leveling the education playing field — or as he puts it, "How doThe Mile High Promise, And Risk, Of School Choice http://kanw.com/post/mile-high-promise-and-risk-school-choice
84107 as http://kanw.comMon, 20 Feb 2017 10:11:00 +0000The Mile High Promise, And Risk, Of School Choice Eric Westervelt5 Things To Look For In Betsy DeVos' Confirmation Hearinghttp://kanw.com/post/5-things-look-betsy-devos-confirmation-hearing
82645 as http://kanw.comTue, 17 Jan 2017 11:22:00 +00005 Things To Look For In Betsy DeVos' Confirmation HearingEric WesterveltOn campuses today almost every educational interaction leaves digital traces. Assignments and feedback are given through online portals; debates and discussions happen via learning management systems as well as in classrooms, cafes and dorm rooms. Those and other digital crumbs give technologists the opportunities to examine the processes, practices and goals of higher education in ways that were largely impossible a decade or so ago. We've reported here and here on Stanford physics Noble Laureate Carl Wieman's "active learning" revolution. Another physicist-turned-education-innovator (is there something in the physics lab water?) named Timothy McKay sees great promise in "learning analytics" — using big data and research to improve teaching and learning. McKay, a professor of physics, astronomy and education at the University of Michigan argues in a recent white paper , that higher ed needs to "break down the perceived divide between research and practice." There are privacy andThe Higher Ed Learning Revolution: Tracking Each Student's Every Movehttp://kanw.com/post/higher-ed-learning-revolution-tracking-each-students-every-move
82411 as http://kanw.comWed, 11 Jan 2017 11:23:00 +0000The Higher Ed Learning Revolution: Tracking Each Student's Every MoveEric Westervelt'Tis the day after Christmas and all through the house many kids aren't stirring... They're joyfully lost in their new smartphones, tablets or smart TVs. And it's likely mom and dad are a little digitally distracted too. In many households, screens are omnipresent. That reality has some big implications for children. Researchers, for example, have found language delays in those who watch more television . So what are parents and caregivers to do? That question can be tricky to answer, says Amanda Lenhart, who studies how families use technology at The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. "The thing about parenting today with digital technology is that you don't have your own experience to go back to and look at," Lenhart recently told NPR's All Things Considered . "When you were 10, there probably weren't cellphones. Parents think it's kind of a brave new world, and it changes so fast." For guidance on screen time, parents often turn to the American Academy of Pediatrics. InScreen Time Reality Check — For Kids And Parentshttp://kanw.com/post/screen-time-reality-check-kids-and-parents
81771 as http://kanw.comMon, 26 Dec 2016 10:00:00 +0000Screen Time Reality Check — For Kids And Parents